Sterile package containing a syringe cylinder of a disposable injection syringe having a piston rod detachable from the piston

ABSTRACT

A sterile package is disclosed which comprises a disposable injection syringe cylinder which has a nozzle at one end, a piston located at its terminal position within the cylinder at the nozzle end thereof and a liner for the interior wall of the cylinder behind the piston to maintain the interior of the cylinder in a sterile condition. When the piston is retracted with an attachable piston rod to introduce a fluid into the syringe cylinder, the liner is likewise retracted. The end of the syringe cylinder opposite the nozzle end may be sealed by a removable foil.

United States Patent Hampel [4 Aug. 28, 1973 STERILE PACKAGE CONTAINING A 3,295,525 1/1967 Even ct a1 l28/2l8 P x SYRINGE CYLINDER or A DISPOSABLE fi 1 e, 1'. INJECTION SYRINGE HAVING A PISTON 3,677,245 7/1972 Welch 128/218 S ROD DETACHABLE FROM THE PISTON [75] Inventor: Heinz Hampel, Schwabisch FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS Gmund-Lind lm-osterlang, 219,270 1/1965 Australia 128/218 R Germany 1,122,592 8/1968 Great Britain 128/218 R [73] Assignee: B. Bnun Melsungen Aktiengesellachalt, Melsungen, Primary Examiner-Samuel B. Rothberg Germany Assistant Examiner-Steven E. Liprnan 9, Attorney-Henry W. Kostel' [21] Appl. No.: 273,163

- [57] ABSTRACT 30 F 1 Application Priority A sterile package is disclosed which, comprises a dis- July 6, 1 Germany P p l injection syringe cylinder has a non]: at one end, a piston located at its terminal position within [52] Cl 206/63: ga g 3 i the cylinder at the nozzle end thereof and a liner for the 5] I C I A45 1 1 0 interior wall of the cylinder behind the piston to main- 'i' c 4 R 2 tain the interior of the cylinder in a sterile condition. 1 8 43 ST When the piston is retracted with an attachable piston 63 R g rod to introduce a fluid into the syringe cylinder, the l liner is likewise retracted. The end of the syringe cylinb References u gsfeofrgfsite the nozzle end may be sealed y a remov UNITED'STATES PATENTS 2,514,575 7/1950 Hein 128/218 R 3 Claims, 1 Drawing Figure x is 2 x,

STERILE PACKAGE CONTAINING A SYRINGE CYLINDER OF A DISPOSABLE INJECTION SYRINGE HAVING A PISTON ROD DETACHABLE FROM THE PISTON The invention relates to a sterile package comprising a syringe cylinder of a disposable syringe having a piston rod which may be detached from the piston, the syringe cylinder being open over its entire cross section at one end and being provided with a syringe nozzle at the other end.

In such disposable syringes, the piston rod may be detached from the piston so that the syringe cylinder sealed by the piston may also be used as a transport vessel. Resultingly, it is a further advantage that a single piston rod may be used with any desired number of syringe cylinders provided with pistons so that the disposable unit, which has to be bought afterwards, consists only of the piston-containing piston cylinder, whereby the unit, which is to be used only once, may be offered at a very reasonable price.

Of course, the syringe cylinders comprising the piston are marketed in a sterile-packing. Initially, the syringe cylinder must have the piston located in its terminal position at the nozzle end. It is clear that, as a consequence of removing the syringe cylinder from its sterile packing and connecting the piston rod with the piston in this initial position, the interior wall of the syringe cylinder cannot be kept completely sterile, although the liquid, for example a medicament or a blood sample, which is then to be sucked in by retraction of the piston, will come into contact with said interior wall of the syringe cylinder.

For this reason, it is the purpose of the present invention to pack a syringe cylinder of the above-described nature in such a way that said interior wall of the syringe cylinder is kept sterile until the liquid, which is to be drawn up into the syringe, has come into contact with the interior wall.

To achieve this object, the subject matter of the present invention is a packed syringe cylinder having its piston, which is detached from the piston rod, in its terminal position adjoining the syringe nozzle and having a covering foil lining the interior cylinder wall between the open end of the cylinder and the end of the piston facing this opening. 1

In an advantageous embodiment the open end of the syringe cylinder is sealed'in a sterile manner by a removable foil.

According to anotheradvantageous embodiment, the covering foil, which lines the interior of the syringe cylinder, consists of a rectangle of springy or resilient plastic material which is rolled up cylindrically and is" in contacting relationship with the interior wall of the syringe cylinder under the action of its tendency to return to a flat or planar condition. I

The following description of one embodiment as shown in the drawings serves to illustrate the invention.

The FIGURE shows a longitudinal section of a sterile packed syringe cylinder according to the invention.

A syringe cylinder is provided at its nozzle end with a syringe nozzle 12, which is sealed by a slip on cap 14. The syringe cylinder 10 has its other end open over the entire cross section. Inside the syringe cylinder 10, there is a piston 16 with a coupling device l8 -for the detachable attachment of a piston rod. The piston 16 abuts the wall20 of the syringe cylinder 10, which is provided with the syringe nozzle 12.

Between the side 22 of the piston 16 away from the wall 20 and the edge 24 of the opening of the syringe cylinder 10 for the insertion of the piston rod, there is a covering foil 28 lining the interior wall of the syringe cylinder 10, which covering foil preferably consists of a rectangular springy resilient plastic material which is rolled up to form a cylinder and abuts the interior wall 26 of the syringe cylinder 10 under the action of its spring tension. The free opening of the syringe cylinder 10 is sealed in a sterile manner by a removably applied foil 30.

The syringe cylinder packed in this manner is subsequently sterilized, for example by gamma radiation.

When the syringe cylinder is to be used, only the foil 30 is stripped off first, so that the piston rod may be inserted into the syringe cylinder 10 and connected with the piston 16 by means of a correspondingly formed coupling device. Between the elements of the piston rod, which serve to guide the piston rod in the syringe cylinder 10, and the interior wall of the syringe cylinder 10 there should be as much free space as to allow for an easy insertion of the piston rod into the interior of the syringe cylinder 10 which is enclosed by the covering foil 28; any contact between the interior wall of the syringe cylinder 10 and the piston rod or any other contamination being thus prevented. If, by way of an aspiration movement, the piston is retracted from the wall 20, which is provided with the syringe nozzle, it draws the covering foil 28 backwards out of the cylinder. If the syringe cylinder is filled only partially and the piston rod is then detached from the piston for using the syringe cylinder as a despatch vessel, the end of the covering foil 28 projecting over the opening of the syringe cylinder may be gripped to remove the covering foil. If the syringe cylinder is substantially filled so that the piston approaches the opening of the syringe cylinder, the covering foil automatically trips out of the syringe cylinder on account of its elasticity.

As it can be seen from the above description, the packing according to the invention ensures that thew]- uid, which is to be drawn up into the syringe, is always drawn up into a completely sterile syringe interior.

I claim:

-' 1. A sterile package comprising a syringe cylinder of adisposable injection syringe, said syringe cylinderbeing open at one end over its entire cross section and being provided at the other end with a syringe nozzle, an axially slideable piston located in its terminal position at the nozzle end of the cylinder in sealing relation ship with said syringe nozzle, said piston being adapted to detachably receive a piston'rod, and a covering foil lining the interior wall of the cylinder'from said piston to said open end in contacting relationship thereto whereby the interior wall of the .syringe cylinder is maintained in a sterile condition until withdrawal of the piston by a piston rod.

2. A sterile package as defined in claim I in which the opening of the syringe cylinder is sealed in a sterile manner by a removal foil.

3. A sterile package as defined in claim 1 in which the covering foil lining the syringe cylinder consists of a rectangle of resilient plastic material which is rolled up cylindrically and is positioned close to the interior wall of the syringe cylinder. 

1. A sterile package comprising a syringe cylinder of a disposable injection syringe, said syringe cylinder being open at one end over its entire cross section and being provided at the other end with a syringe nozzle, an axially slideable piston located in its terminal position at the nozzle end of the cylinder in sealing relationship with said syringe nozzle, said piston being adapted to detachably receive a piston rod, and a covering foil lining the interior wall of the cylinder from said piston to said open end in contacting relationship thereto whereby the interior wall of the syringe cylinder is maintained in a sterile condition until withdrawal of the piston by a piston rod.
 2. A sterile package as defined in claim 1 in which the opening of the syringe cylinder is sealed in a sterile manner by a removal foil.
 3. A sterile package as defined in claim 1 in which the covering foil lining the syringe cylinder consists of a rectangle of resilient plastic material which is rolled up cylindrically and Is positioned close to the interior wall of the syringe cylinder. 